Many types of boats, including sailboats and power boats, commonly include a highly polished and decorative wooden side rail extending along the gunnel. Since all boats are exposed to a wide range of natural elements, including sunlight, extreme heat, extreme cold, rain, fresh water, salt water, hail and sometimes snow or sleet, these side rails rapidly deteriorate unless they are protectively covered.
It is known to use tarpaulins and covers of various design to protect boat surfaces from the natural elements. For example, U.S. Pat. Re. 26,363 to Mills, II entitled Fabric Covers for Boats provides a fabric cover for boats which is intended to protect the boat while not in use. The fabric tarpaulin covers the entire boat and is held in place by a series of resilient fastener clips. Use of the fabric tarpaulin in combination with the fastener clips in order to protect the side rails of a boat is unsatisfactory, since it is difficult and unwieldy to handle, and removal of the clips and entire tarp is time consuming. Furthermore, damage can occur to the rails as a result of the contact between the fastener clip and the rail, and damage to the cover itself can occur as a result of the attachment of the fastener clips to the cover.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a detachable cover for protecting the wooden side rails of a boat against the natural elements and which is easily detachable from the rails with minimum effort, and which will not itself damage the rail.
It is another object of this invention to provide a detachable cover of the described type which will remain securely fixed in place once in position.